Swiss Art & Culture

Mountain Art & Sculpture

The 3D sculpture Foundation promotes art, education and culture to the international audiences of Verbier. Founded in 2010 by New York based artist Madeline Paternot and Verbier based artist, Kiki Thompson, the residency creates a space for Art and Ecology to meet on the mountain. Think of a museum without walls, in the beautiful mountain landscape of Verbier, Switzerland.

The 3D Sculpture Park is located along the walk from Les Ruinettes to La Chaux above Verbier. Take the gondola from Verbier to Les Ruinettes. In July & August, change onto the Chaux Express to Restaurant Dahu, which has a fantastic view toward the Combin Glacier.

A short drive from Verbier is the town of Martigny and there is a range of interesting attractions to visit here.

The St Bernard Dog Museum is a favourite for dog lovers and children. These huge dogs, which originate from the St Bernard Monastery nearby, have a fascinating history as rescue dogs in the high mountains. The museum is informative and provides a good background to the breed before you meet them. St Bernards are bred and cared for here too so you can watch them play outside, sleep, eat and gain a better understanding of the origins of the St Bernard breed.

The Foundation Pierre Giannada is a world renowned art museum in Martigny, and one of the most important cultural attractions in the town. The Foundation offers permanent exhibitions and you will be surprised by the original art on display as you walk around. Over the last 2 years, the exhibition has featured famous art by Picasso and Zao
Wou-Ki as well as showcased some of to Leonardo Da Vinci’s work.

Within the Foundation, you will also see the Classic Car Museum, showcasing a large collection of more than 50 vintage cars from between 1897 to 1939.

There is a Gallo-Roman Museum, which recounts the discoveries made during the building of the museum on an ancient site. The gardens house a Sculpture Park, the Chagall Court and the Szafran Pavillon where the Foundation Café serves refreshments.

Chalet Spa recommends you visit the ancient open-air ampitheatre before leaving Martigny. All these attractions are close to each other, and our chauffeur would make your daytrip an enjoyable experience for all.

Renowned for the quality and timeless design of its timepieces, Switzerland is the natural destination of all serious lovers of haute horlogerie. A VIP Swiss Watch tour invites you to discover the inner world of watch making, with a private guided tour of the ateliers and manufacturers of some of the worlds most famous Swiss Watch brands.

Geneva has over 500 years experience of luxury watch making and is home to the Patek Philippe Museum with a priceless collection of antique watches and timepieces.

Lausanne is the Olympic Capital of the World and has a huge focus on international sport, with more than 55 sports federations based in and around the city.

For over a century the International Olympic Committee has been located on the shores of Lake Geneva, acting as a catalyst for collaboration between all parties of the Olympic family. If you are visiting Lausanne, the Olympic museum offers an interesting insight into the Games with plenty of interactive displays and Olympic memorabilia, including all the Olympic torches that have been carried to represent each Olympic Games.

Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland and is French speaking, facing Lac leman and Evian-les-Bains in France. Built on a Southern slope, Lausanne also has 46 buildings or sites listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance so the city is steeped in history.

Sporting activities are very popular in Lausanne, which plays host to track & field meetings, road runs, triathlons and marathons, although it is said that the two most important sports in the city are ice hockey and football.

Lausanne will host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics with venues for skating events, opening & closing ceremonies, and ice hockey already in the city, whilst skiing events will be held in the nearby mountain resorts.

The city of Bern is a UNESCO World Heritage site and ranked among the worlds top ten cities for the best quality of life. Bern was declared the Swiss capital in 1848 and the Parliament Building, with its copper domed roof, is home to the Swiss Parliament.

The old town of Bern is encircled by the Aare River and in the Summer, people swim and boat here. Bern’s historic townscape dates back to 1191 and the Zytglogge, or Clock Tower in the middle of town is one of Bern’s most important sights. Built in 1530, the astronomical clock with its moving figures still serves as the city’s main clock.

The Cathedral of Bern is Switzerland’s largest ecclesiastical building, and this along with the History Museum and Einstein House are worth visiting.

Known as the City Of Fountains, Bern’s medieval streets have more than 100 elaborate fountains which date from the middle Ages and which predict the heroes and historical events of the city. The fountains used to provide a meeting place where the towns people met to talk, wash and drink clean water.

If art is of interest, the Paul Klee centre in the centre of Bern features the world’s largest collection of originals by Paul Klee in a boldly designed gallery made of glass and steel.

Finally, you can’t leave Bern without a visit to the Bern bears who live in the heart of the capital next to the River Aare. They climb, fish and play in the spacious Bear park and can often be seen taking a swim in the warm Summer months.